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I'd now like to provide an update. We've had both the 718 GT4 and Spyder through our shop (loaned to us by generous clients), and we have verified the fitment of our complete line of brake products. You can see the complete menu of those components for both cars here:
We have Ferodo Brake Pads available in several compounds. The DS2500 is a fantastic road/autoX/light duty track pad. It's arguably the most versatile pad on the market. They're easy to bed, easy on discs, and don't make much noise. The DS1.11 is a full race pad, and a step above the DS2500 in terms of heat capacity. They are terrible on the street, as they don't have much cold bite and squeal like a stuck pig. The DS3.12 is the newest compound, and have become the darling of the 991 GT3 market. They are kicking **** in European GT racing, and have the flattest torque curve of any pad we've ever run on our brake dyno. I've run them on my personal track car, and they have tremendous feel. They also have good cold bite, and barely make any noise. I've driven them around on the street in my car, and they work well. As with any race compound, they will eat your discs in a hurry when run cold however. Here's an article that will help you squeeze the most out of your brake pads, regardless of what manufacturer you ultimately choose: Track and Racing Brake Pad Owner's Guide
Brake Fluid
We have a full range of AP Racing and Ferodo Racing brake fluid. The AP Racing R4 is the star of the show, and boasts one of the highest dry boiling points of any fluid on the market. We've been servicing the top teams in IMSA, NASCAR Cup, and IndyCar with AP Racing R4, and it is a fantastic performer (it has won the season championship in each of these arenas). Don't drink the wet boiling point Kool-Aid...the dry boiling point is where it's at for a regularly serviced track day car or club racer. You can read about AP Racing fluids in this article: How to Choose Racing Brake Fluid
Stainless Steel Brake Lines
We offer a super high-quality SS line kit for these cars that you can see here: https://www.essexparts.com/spiegler-...ear-6-line-kit
The owner of Spiegler is a fastidious,German engineer, who also happens to be a Porsche owner, enthusiast, and racer. The fittings are produced in Switzerland, and the lines are built and tested in Ohio. The big benefit of these lines is that they make it far easier to remove the OEM caliper to change pads. They eliminate the hard line at the caliper, and replace it with a flexible one.
Two-piece AP Racing J Hook Discs
Our AP Racing J Hooks are approaching near-legendary status among Porsche owners. We are currently offering 2-piece replacements for 718 GT4 and Spyder that come from the factory with iron discs. We have not yet confirmed that our solution for PCCB cars will fit. We are assuming that our 981 GT4 discs will work, but we need to get our hands on a PCCB disc from a 718 GT4 or Spyder to verify. If you have one of these discs you can send us to measure, please contact me asap. You'll be happy you did!
Below are some links to blog articles with client reviews of our discs. While our discs aren't the cheapest option, they are the best option for durability, performance, and value.
Porsche 991 GT3 owner- "These rotors were first on my GT3 then on my GT3RS, and we had 2 drivers on them for 2 summers. That equates to 70 track days at Mont-Tremblant...Lots of the sessions were back-to-back 20-25 min sessions, so 40-50 minutes straight with just a quick driver change in the middle. These rotors were used with Hoosier R7 and Pirelli DH slicks. Just a great combo!"
Porsche 981 GT4 owner- "I've been happily running the Essex/AP Racing rotor on my Cayman GT4 for a few years now. The reason I'm reaching out is that my current front rotors have seen 23 days at Circuit of the Americas running in the advanced student and instructor run groups...My dilemma is that 23 track days intuitively seems like a lot for a single set of rotors, and yet your article seems to suggest that they may yet have a fair amount of life in them."
Porsche 991.2 GTS owner- "This brake setup was amazing on the track. 0 Fade, 0 heat issues, smooth stopping, good bite. Just all around perfect upgrade! Highly recommend getting these rotors for an upgrade!”
Complete AP Racing by Essex Radi-CAL Competition Brake Kits
We have loads of thrilled customer with this kit. Some of the key benefits it provides:
Eliminates the need to remove the calipers for pad changes. It will take far longer to raise the car and remove the center locks than it will to change pads.
Offers a wide range of pad materials from most major pad manufacturers (including Ferodo)
Saves 33 unsprung lbs. vs. OEM iron brakes and weigh closer to the OEM PCCB system despite using iron discs
Allows you to preserve your pricey OEM brake calipers for when you sell the car and move to your next one
Fit inside OEM wheels without spacers, and inside many popular 19" track wheels
Saves a great deal of money in consumables (pads, fluid, discs), as everything in this kit is designed explicitly for racetrack abuse
We have lots of great educational materials in our Essex Learning Center, including detailed videos on the products above.
Below is a sample video that looks at the differences between an OEM road brake system vs. one that is designed specifically for track abuse.
Thanks gents. We're looking forward to servicing all your brake needs! Please feel free to fire away with questions, and I'll circle back and provide some pics as time allows.
__________________
'09 Carrera 2S, '08 Boxster LE (orange), '91 Acura NSX, Tesla Model 3 Performance, Fiesta ST
Jeff Ritter
Mgr. High Performance Division, Essex Parts Services Essex Designed AP Racing Radi-CAL Competition Brake Kits & 2-piece J Hook Discs Ferodo Racing Brake Pads Spiegler Stainless Steel Brake Lines
704-824-6030 jeff.ritter@essexparts.com
Last edited by JRitt@essex; 09-29-2020 at 01:13 PM.
I'm wondering if the SS brake line kit from Spiegler (981) also fits 718?
Yes, the Spiegler 4 and 6 line kits will fit the 718 also. They were unfortunately overlooked on our website and not listed properly. I will make sure they get updated. Sorry about that! We have numerous 718's running these. Here's an example (in this case the owner has our full brake kit as well):
Yes, the Spiegler 4 and 6 line kits will fit the 718 also. They were unfortunately overlooked on our website and not listed properly. I will make sure they get updated. Sorry about that! We have numerous 718's running these. Here's an example (in this case the owner has our full brake kit as well):
Hi Jeff....we may have a problem with some of the GT4s....the Spiegler rear line ends at the bracket and the hard line is kept.
This is to minimize any rubbing with the wheels when using the previous rear long lines but some of us have found that Porsche inverted the bracket bolt to get the SS line and Spiegler line loose when removing the caliper.
Now the bolt head is under the bracket and access to it is obstructed by the hard line...you can't get the torx screwdriver in there...you have to disconnect the hard line either from the caliper or from the Spiegler line.
We have seen GT4s with the screw on top and bottom so it looks like it may be a change Porsche did at some point.
BTW...the bracket is not fixed to the caliper.
I see two options...either revert back to the long rear line (and make sure it doesn't rub the wheel) or build a slightly longer line to replace the hard line.
Please let me know on this as it will make changing rear pads a PITA.
Got a price for just the replacement rings? I see a ton of 2 piece rotor kits out there but nobody seems to list the rings separately.
Absolutely. We try to be as upfront about our spares situation as possible. When looking at our 2-piece disc product pages, look to the right and we have the spare iron disc rings scrolling under the heading 'related products'. https://www.essexparts.com/essex-des...gt4-991t-997ts
In our case, the great news is that you won't be buying them often. We have customers getting unprecedented mileage out of our discs. If you visit the Essex Blog, you'll see disc longevity as one of the most praised aspects of our products. Here's an example of a 991 GT3 customer getting 70+ track days out of his discs: https://www.essexparts.com/news-blog...g-j-hook-discs
We've also had exotic fleet customers get 10,000 track miles out of a set of discs on a 991 GT3.
Reasonable spares cost and quick availability is a cornerstone of our 2-piece disc and brake kit program. We know that not being able to get replacements can turn into a nightmare. That's why we stock a large quantity in our Charlotte, NC warehouse at all times. We typically have many unbedded, and some that are pre-bedded so they can be dropped on the car without any preparation.
Let us know if you have any other questions, and thanks for your consideration!
Hi Jeff....we may have a problem with some of the GT4s....the Spiegler rear line ends at the bracket and the hard line is kept.
This is to minimize any rubbing with the wheels when using the previous rear long lines but some of us have found that Porsche inverted the bracket bolt to get the SS line and Spiegler line loose when removing the caliper.
Now the bolt head is under the bracket and access to it is obstructed by the hard line...you can't get the torx screwdriver in there...you have to disconnect the hard line either from the caliper or from the Spiegler line.
We have seen GT4s with the screw on top and bottom so it looks like it may be a change Porsche did at some point.
BTW...the bracket is not fixed to the caliper.
I see two options...either revert back to the long rear line (and make sure it doesn't rub the wheel) or build a slightly longer line to replace the hard line.
Please let me know on this as it will make changing rear pads a PITA.
I have my technical team looking at this now. Thank you very much for the heads up. We heard about this from someone else yesterday as well.
How about international shipping? Can you send a set to Australia?
Our AP Racing by Essex products can be purchased through AP Racing's authorized distributor in Australia, V Sport / Competition Friction: https://vsport.com.au/
09-29-2020, 01:09 PM
Full menu of AP Racing, Ferodo, and Spiegler brake products now shipping!!
